So, to welcome their new Kosher section, Downtown Chabad in San Diego on Market and 14th Street will be having a Kosher Wine & Cheese tasting on Sunday, Dec 17th to celebrate Chanukah! Also, I’ll be cooking latkes for Temple Beth Shalom on Sunday for a party Sunday Night! Come try your favorite food blogger’s latkes! Love them! Enjoy them! BE the latkes!

Now, my wife has Japanese blood in her, and one of my favorite treats she makes is Mochi, For those that don’t know, Mochi is are Gluten-free doughy cookies that are a nice refreshing treat. My problem, as usual with Asian delights, is that there seemed to be no sweet rice flour. Well, Ener-G Foods comes to the rescue! ^^ It’s Kosher! It’s Pareve! It’s available at most alternative grocery stores!

So, we have our kosher sweet rice flour, let’s make some Mochi! We start by combining 2 & 1/2 Cups Water and 1 Cup White Sugar in a sauce pan, and bringing it to a rolling boil for a 4-5 minutes. Then turn down the heat and toss in 1 pd. Ener-G Foods Sweet Rice Flour (About 4/5ths of the box). Mix together with a fork until it shines. If you want it colored, at this point add 1/4 Teaspoon Food Coloring and mix it in completely. If the dough gets hard, feel free to add a little bit more hot water to the dough. Once mixed, remove it from heat and let it cool to a point you can touch it safely. Knead it for 2-3 minutes, then roll the dough out on a flat surface dusted with Corn Starch. and let cool completely. Once cool, cut into 1/4 in. circles of dough and roll into balls.

These can be sealed in a plastic container for a few days, and are excellent for holidays. My wife likes to make multi-colored mochi for holidays & celebrations. There are really easy to make, and tasty, to boot! I hope you enjoy making these as much as I enjoy eating them, and have a great day! Until next time, Shalom and Good Cooking!

In San Diego Kashrut news, The NEW Albertson’s on Market and 14th Street now has in stock fresh kosher products. The fresh meat, chicken, chicken breast, brisket, ground beef, turkey, and more are displayed in the Meat Department. The koshering company, for those who want to know, is Glatt Kosher S’Better Farms. The manager is trying to get kosher milk, cheeses, breads, and challah in as well. ^^ Hooray! Another place in Downtown/South Bay to get Kosher products! We have Chabad Downtown to thank for this, so let’s hear a cheer!

I like wine, that’s something many know. And, every few months, I seem to post a new wine recipe. Well, with holidays coming for many faiths right now coupled with the coming new year, this is the time of year for holiday and New Year’s parties. Keeping that in mind, let’s look over some party ‘punches’ with kick. Now, I already did a recipe for Kosher Wassail, but let’s go south of the boarder now. Yes, my friends, we’re going to discuss the making of Sangria.

For those who may not know, Sangria originally came from Spain, and is quite the refreshing treats at parties. So, let’s look into this! For a standard serving, we start with 1 bottle of your favorite kosher red wine. I recommend a Merlot, as some traditional kosher table wines are JUST a bit too sweet. Though Mogen David works well in a pinch. ^^

Okay, so now we have the wine. What we want to do is pour it into a pitcher or sun tea jar with a strainer. This will become apparent soon why w want this. Next, we want to take 1 lemon, sliced thinly into rings, 1 lime, sliced thinly into rings, and 1 orange, sliced thinly into rings. Making sure all the seeds are gone, toss these citrus fruits into the wine before stirring. If you wish, you can also add 1-2 shots of Brandy to give it a bit more kick, and 2-3 Tablespoons Sugar to help cut the bitterness of the brandy & acidicness of the citrus. Once stirred, set in your fridge for at LEAST 2-3 hours to chill before serving. Personally, I prefer to let it sit overnight, just so the fruit soaks up a lot of alcohol & can be munched later for a nice treat.

Now, the Sangria can be served as is, or we can CUSTOMIZE! Oh, you know I love to modify & customize! If you’d like the punch to be carbonated, stir in 2 cups soda water (club soda) right before serving. Also, I’ve found that using gin instead of brandy is a tasty changeup. Or, if you wish, you can also add sliced peaches, strawberries, mangos, grapefruit, pineapple, or any other fruit high in citrus content. Also, you could choose to use a kosher white wine for a real different treat. Also, if in a rush, stir in a 1/2 cup of chilled orange juice with 1/8th cup chilled lemon & lime juices with the fruit slices into 1 bottle CHILLED Kosher wine. Then finish as normal to make it ready to go within a few minutes. Anyhow, as with any alcohol article I write, please drink responsibly, and know when to say when. Especially if you’re Mel Gibson. REALLY know when to say when! Anyhow, until next time, Shalom and Good Cooking!

Well, it’s the promised Desserts issue of RKC! What some readers don’t get is that US Thanksgiving is a HUGE boon to us foodie bloggers. Every housewife, mother, grandmother, and the like all scour the Internet looking for the JUST RIGHT recipe to make their table memorable. I’ve been looking over the search logs leading into the blog, and 99.9% of them have ‘Thanksgiving’ in the search string. Nee! So, as I revel in my hits going thru the roof, I do hope that those who find the blog find what they need Thursday!

But this article is dedicated to desserts! Yes, desserts are something dear to my heart. Growing up, in the Midwest, family potluck dinners were the norm. And of course the best part was that EVERY family member made a dessert to go with whatever side dish they brought. Pies, cookies, bars, and cakes covered a table all by themselves. Ah, good memories… See, that’s what Thanksgiving is to me. It’s not a religious holiday… It’s not a commercial holiday… It’s all about family and friends getting together on ONE day to celebrate food, family, and love. For one day, all misdeeds and anger is forgotten, and the family sits as one to enjoy a large meal.

So, remebering this, let’s get into our recipes for this article! First off, I want to share a recipe for Pineapple Cake. We start with mixing 2 1/4 Cups All-Purpose Flour, 2 Cups Sugar, 1 Can Unsweetened Crushed Pineapple WITH Syrup, and 2 Teaspoons Baking Soda in a bowl with a wooden spoon. Do NOT use a mixer! Once blended, pour into a greased 9×13 in. pan and bake in a preheated 350 Degree F oven for 35 minutes. Let cool completely before serving, or you can also frost it with a Cream Cheese Frosting. To make the frosting, mix 1 Pd. Powdered Sugar, 8 oz. Cream Cheese, and 2 Teaspoons Vanilla Extract with a mixer until blended smooth. Spread on the cake for a nice sweet treat!

But we can’t do JUST cake! No, let’s head into a n easy cookie that the kids can even help make! Let’s make Puffed Rice Ball Cookies! Start by mixing 1/2 Cup Margarine or Butter, 2 Cups Creamy Peanut Butter, 1 pd. Powdered Sugar, and 3 Cups Puffed Rice cereal in a large bowl with a wooden spoon or spatula. After mixing, melt 1 12 oz. bag Milk Chocolate Chips in a double boiler until liquid. As the chocolate melts, have the kids help you roll the peanut butter & rice cereal mix into 3/4 in. balls. Once the chocolate is melted, dip each ball into the chocolate, then set it on a tray covered in wax paper. Chill in the fridge until chocolate hardens, then serve! This was a regular in my family for taking to potlucks and holiday feasts, as they ALWAYS were popular!

But, let’s get REALLY adventurous! Everyone loves peaches! So why not blow them away with a homemade, from scratch, made-by-you Peach Cobbler? We’ll nbeed to start with the crust. Start with 2 Cups AP Flour, 3 Tablespoons Shortening, 1 Teasoon Salt, and 1 Tablespoon Sugar. Fold the ingredients together in a bowl with a fork until crumbly. Then add 1 Cup COLD Water and knead. If it’s too dry, feel free to add a little more water. It’ll depend how much water you’ll need depending on your altitude, moisture in the air, and the like. Once kneaded into a dough, divide the pastry in half. Roll out even on a flat floured surface before cutting into strips for a lattice crust.

Next we get to the actual filling! We need to begin with pouring 2 Large Cans Sliced Peaches into a 9×11 in. greased baking pan. To this, we want to stir in 1 1/2 Cups Sugar, 3 Teaspoons Nutmeg, & 1/2 Teaspoon Cinnamon. Once the seasonings are stirred in, sprinkle about 2 Tablespoons Flour over the fruit mixture. This will help thicken the fruit mix, and help keep the crust in place. Next take 1 Stick Butter and crumble it over the top of the flour. Finally, rest your lattice crust atop the fruit mix and trip any excess off. Finally, bake in a preheated 350 Degree F oven for 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until crust is golden, but not burned. Just keep an eye on the Peach Cobbler thru the window of your oven for the last 15 minutes or so. This cobbler is EXCELLENT topped with a scoop of vanilla ice cream! ^^

As a final recipe, I know not everyone is culinary inclined. A lot of readers, for a pie, are simply going to pick up a pie from the grocery store on the way to whatever family gather they are going to. BUT, there’s a way around the dark glares and shaking heads of some family members! Yes, here at RKC we’re going to teach you to CHEAT! Start with your favorite frozen pie, be it apple, mince, cherry, pumpkin, or the like. Removing the pie from it’s metal pan, set it inside a glass baking dish. Now, bake it as the directions on the box say to, take out of the oven, and wrap the top of the pie in aluminum foil. Now take it to the family dinner, and smile as no one makes any snide comments about your not cooking anything. Comments asking about when you’ll get married, have kids, get a better job, and/or call more often still likely to happen. Take shots of wine, as needed, to overcome this.

For more desserts, click the ‘dessert’ tag on my blog, and it’ll give you a list of EVERY dessert I’ve ever written about! I wish all those cooking this week good luck with the coming holiday! And remember, there’s less than a month until the Festival of Lights! Oh, yeah… And The Day after US Thanksgiving starts the countdown to International Chinese Dinner Day! Until next time, Shalom and Good Cooking!

So a dear friend just got her first ultrasound. She’s quite happy. and I hope all goes well with it. The wife & I are looking forward to heading up to Canada to attend her handfasting in another year or so, and it should be fun! It’s great with so many friends recently finding love & getting married. Now, I wanted to share a Canadian treat I like that said friend cued me onto. Let’s work at making Poutine Kosher!First we need a non-meat gravy. Looking around, I have tried several Vegan Gravy recipes. But this one is definently the best I’ve found so far. To start with, we need to cook up a batch of the linked gravy. As it cooks, we need 4 Cups Shoestring French Fries. Some like to fry them up, but I personally prefer to bake them for health reasons. The french fries and gravy should finish cooking at about the same time, which is a good thing! Now, set all the french fries on a platter to be shared by you and your friends, and sprinkle 2 Cups Cheese Curds over the fries. Finally, smother the fries and curds with the gravy and chow down with your friends! This is a snack that I’m sure you’ll love!

In parting, Ralph’s Magic Stars Cereal (sold at Ralph’s Supermarkets), bears an unauthorized OU symbol and is being withdrawn from the marketplace. Individuals spotting this product are requested to contact the Orthodox Union. We can’t end the week without one final Kashrut warning, now can we? Until next time, Shalom et Bonne Cuisine!

Living by the border, this latest Kashrut alert hit close to home. Mazola “Right Blend” Canola Oil, which is distributed in Mexico, bears an unauthorized OU symbol. It is being withdrawn from the marketplace. Consumers spotting this product are requested to contact the Orthodox Union directly.

So, I’m sitting here watching Kadosh, which is a really good movie. But, it has a tidbit about cooking that I find odd… Apparently, to make tea on Shabbat, Orthodox & Hassidic pour the water into the cup first, then add the sugar. Because, apparently, pouring hot water over sugar is cooking, thus not allowed on Shabbat. So, my query to my more torah-learned readers, is would this be also how you would make coffee? Surely you couldn’t be it, but if you poured hot water into a cup, then added instant coffee, sugar, and creamer, would THAT be okay on Shabbat? Ah, the musings I come up with…

Ah, watching this movie has me pondering what recipe I can post with this article. After all, we all know I can’t just post a blurb. Well, I can, but it’s not right! Anyhow, I have a friend who is dieting, and he wanted a recipe for something he can eat for lunches while not going unhealthy. An easy lunch for work, if you will. Contemplating, I came up with this healthy salad idea, and called it Dieter’s Salad. Let’s make it, shall we?

First, take 2 Cups Fresh Spinach Leaves and combine them in a bowl with 1/4 Cup Green Onions, Chopped Finely. Once mixed, take two smaller sealable containers and split the spinach & onions between them. These sealable containers are going to be what you’ll take your lunches in. Next, we need 1/2 pd. Cooked Chicken Breast Strips. If you wish, you can use turkey strips or another form of protien for the salad. Even Tofu strips works well! Anyhow, put 1/4 cup of your protien in the center of each sealable container atop the spinach & green onions. Finally, prepare the following: 1 Banana, Peeled & Sliced; 1 Large Pink Grapefruit, Peeled & Sectioned; 1 Cup Cherry Tomatos, Sliced in Half; and 1/2 Cup Celery. Sprinkle these atop the salad, and seal your containers. Before eating, shake the container to mix up all the ingredients, then top with a low-calorie or fat-free dressing.

The above salad will make two lunches in a row for you, so you can Hypothetically have your lunches from Monday thru Thursday, then mabye treat yourself with a sensible lunch on Fridays for a reward. Note, sensible does NOT mean the All-You-Can-Eat Beef Ribs place down the street from work! It means like a sandwich rap or something with lemonade to drink! Anyhow, those that eat healthy are likely applauding that I can actually do SOMETHING that’s not a dessert or dripping in cheese. Ah, well. Until next time, Shalom and Good Cooking!

Kosher Cooking Carnival #12:
Ask not for whom the bell tolls, it tolls for the KCC..

This is the 12th edition of the Kosher Cooking Carnival, a monthly treat of kosher blog posts from all over the world. KCC is much more than a list of recipes. Any post that relates in any way to kosher eating fits the bill. We have a very varied menu. Here’s the listing of the previous KCC’s: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 & 11. Since this is the KCC’s birthday month, I want to give a big hand to those bloggers who have kept this running this past year!

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Okay, enough clapping! Let’s get into this month’s carnival! Please have your tickets ready, keep your hands on the keyboard, and keep an open mind at all times! Thank you, and enjoy the ride!

Keeping in mind fun treats, we also have an article suscussing whether or not Thanksgiving is Kosher. Personally, I think it best to discuss with your own Rabbi whether or not to celebrate this holiday, but that’s just me!

Let’s cheer up from this terrifying news with the fact that there’s a NEW Web Site for Jews in New York to look for their Kosher needs: Kosher-NY.com! In it it lists restaurants, groceries, and everything else you need to live a healthy Kosher life in New York! Which is all well & good, but when do we get Kosher-SDiego.com? Where does NY keep getting these wonderful toys?

Mix ingredients in the order given, then cook over a low heat stirring until cornflour is cooked. Pour into jars and when cold screw lids on tightly.

Note from the Food Past’s Author: My father believed in *big* breakfast cups and this is his mother’s recipe. Be generous with the milk. Also make sure you use milk with enough cream – modern 4% milk is scrawny and feeble. My grandmother had a cow for some years and my father’s estimate of the milk fat from that cow was 25-30%. I wouldn’t go as far as using cream (our tastes have changed and we’re more aware of the consequences of using that level of fat in cooking), but I would definitely never use low fat milk in this recipe.

Since we’re discussing medical issues, let’s next look at Gluten-Free by the Bay, a blog written for those who must keep a gluten-free diet. Well, friends, they have done the impossible by coming up with a recipe for Gluten-Free Knishes! Since this is such a tremendous undertaking, I PROUDLY share this recipe with you all so you, too, can try this wonderful AND tasty traditional food:

Dough Instructions: Using a fork or a dough mixer, blend the contents of the Chebe mix packet in a bowl with 2 tbsp oil or softened margarine and 2 eggs. Add 5 tbsp of milk, milk substitute or water while continuing to mix. Knead dough with hands until all ingredients are fully blended and the dough is smooth. Roll dough into a ball. Using a rolling pin, roll dough to a thickness of 1/4 inch or less. Using a knife or pastry scraper, cut into 5×7 inch rectangles (Scraps of remaining dough can be kneaded together and re-rolled to create additional rectangles).

Filling Instructions: Peel potato, cut lengthwise and then into 2-inch slices. Bring a pot of water to a boil. Add 1 teaspoon of kosher salt. Add potato pieces to the water, and boil until tender. Turn off heat. Drain potatoes and return to pot. Mash thoroughly. Add chopped spinach to potatoes, and mix until combined. Cover with lid to keep warm.

In a frying pan over low heat, add butter, oil and onion. Cover and cook for 10-15 minutes or until soft, then remove cover and cook until the onions begin to turn golden brown. Remove from heat. Add onions to mashed potato/spinach combination, as well as pepper and 1/2 teaspoon of kosher salt. Stir in one egg. Use wooden spoon or masher to combine.

To Assemble: Using a pastry scraper, carefully transfer each rectangle of dough to the greased baking sheet. Place a small amount of the mashed potato mixture (approximately 2-3 tablespoons) in the center of each rectangle, arranging it so that it there is at least a 1 1/2 inch perimeter of dough around the filling on all sides. Make absolutely sure that no filling or liquid gets on the perimeter of the dough, as it will keep the knish from sealing. Fold dough over widthwise (shorter side to shorter side). Use a fork to crimp the edges of the dough. Make sure all edges are sealed, and patch any holes with small scraps of dough.

Brush the 3 tbsp of oil or egg you have set aside over the top of each knish. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until golden. Eat while hot or warm. Refrigerate or freeze leftovers and reheat in the oven (without defrosting). Makes 5-6 knishes.

Now, by now we ALL know what Mel Gibson did. While we’re all sick of hearing either side, I was quite amused by Bagel Blogger and their take on the fiasco:

In the large bowl of an electric mixer, combine the dry ingredients. Blend, using the electric mixer, until well mixed.

In a small bowl, combine one whole egg and one egg yolk (reserve egg white for later) and beat well. Add water, honey and oil, and mix well (by hand) until emulsified.

Add the liquid ingredients to the dry ingredients in the mixing bowl, and mix vigorously by hand until fully incorporated.

Knead dough with hook attachment or by hand, working until smooth and elastic, adding additional flour (in small amounts) if necessary.

Coat a bowl with a very (very!) small amount of oil and place the kneaded dough into the bowl, rotating to coat with oil. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and a damp towel, and put in a warm place (the top of the refrigerator is often a good bet) and allow the dough to rise for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, punch the dough down and allow to rest for 5 to 10 minutes.

Divide the rested dough into 12 even pieces and shape into balls. Arrange in a greased 9 inch cake pan. Lightly beat reserved egg white, and brush over top of rolls. Cover with damp towel and allow to rise until doubled – approximately 15 minutes.

That’s all for this month. Please be sure to announce the carnival in your blogs; that way everyone gets more visitors. If you’re interested in hosting an edition of KCC, please let muse know! You can also routinely send her all of your food links, whenever you post something that could be in the Kosher Cooking Carnival. And if you see something that fits the bill on another blog, please send her that link, too. Either send to shilohmuse at gmail dot com or to blog carnival, and at the same time you may discover other carnivals to visit and enter… Thank you for visiting RKC for this edition of the Kosher Cooking Carnival. Let’s end this with our usual sendoff: Shalom and Good Cooking!

So, before we begin, I have gotten a lot of requests for pictures. Apparently people want to SEE the insane blogger bringing your recipes week after week. So, as a public service, I now present a picture of mine from my SHARP days…
For those who are now blinded, my deepest apologies. And to the guy who keeps e-mailing me to move to Israel and be his wife, STOP E-MAILING ME! I’m a guy! There’s the proof!Anyhoo, I promised an article of side dishes, what with the American Thanksgiving coming up soon. Yes, I know some feel it’s a ‘gentile’ holiday, but I disagree. It’s a holiday for ALL America to celebrate, eat good food, and be thankful for all the wonderful gifts we have in life. So, I proudly celebrate this day to feed as many as I can! Even going to look into helping out at the local soup kitchens, if they’ll have me, but that’s neither here nor there. No, my friends, when we think Thanksgiving, we think Turkey (Or Tofurky if you’re vegitarian/vegan!). But, a meal can not be made on turkey alone! Well, it can, but it’s not very healthy! That’s why, my dear readers, we’re going to go over a huge amount of side dishes to tickle the palates of anyone eating at your house! And besides, they’re handy for potlucks, as well! So roll up those sleeves, and let’s get cooking!First off, i have a fondness for Mixed Greens, but every one always swears you have to use ham! Ugh… So, let’s start out with Kosher Mixed Greens! First we need 1 pound Turkey Bacon that we’re going to parboil in about 3 cups water. After this, we want to add 1 Medium Onion, Chopped Corsely, 1 Garlic Clove, Crushed, A Pinch of Baking Soda, 1 Tablespoon Reb Pepper Seeds, and Kosher Salt & Freshly Ground Pepper to taste. Next we need 1 bunch each of collards, spinach, and Turnip greens. Wash them to make SURE they are clean, then cut roughly into small pieces. Att the greens to the pot, and cook on low for 1 & 1/2 to 2 hours, stirring every once in a while to mix the flavors. Take off the heat and serve!

But let’s get a bit more insane, shall we? Oh, yes, let’s go back down South for Yams with Oranges! We start by preheating the oven to 375 degrees F. Next take 6 yams or Sweet Potatos that have been fully cooked & cooled. Peel & slice them thinly, then place one layer of slices in a shallow greased baking or casserole dish. Next slice thinly 3 Navel Oranges and lay a layer of oranges over the sweet potatos/yams. Next we want to break up 3/4 cup butter in stick form, and crumble the butter over the oranges and sweet potatos/yams. Finally, dust the top with brown sugar. Continue layering until near the top of the casserole dish, or you are out of oranges & yams/sweet potatos. Next, mix 1 Cup Orange Juice and 2 Tablespoons Fresh Lemon Juice together, and pour into the casseroleor baking dish. Bake for about 1 & 1/2 hours, or until a thick syrup has formed, and the top is browned slightly.

But, don’t think I’m going to forget mashed poatos! Rather than go into some little recipe over how to make mashed potatos, I won’t think so lowly of my readers. Instead, I’ll teach you how to make mashed potatos AHEAD of time, so you can focus on cooking OTHER dishes. First, take 5 pds. Potatos and cook them up. Once cooked, peel and mash them before adding 6 oz. Cream Cheese, 1 Cup Sour Cream, 2 Teaspoons Onion Salt, 1 Teaspoon Salt, 1/4 Teaspoon Pepper, and t Tablespoons Butter. Mix until blended, then place in a sealable dish or bowl in the fridge for up to two weeks. When it’s time for dinner, place the potatos in a greased casserole dish. Dot the top with butter and bake at 350 degrees F for 30 to 60 minutes, depoending if you’re baking a half or whole batch. If in a pinch, the potatos can also be frozen.

Nice, huh? Next up, my wife may hate them, but I happen to LOVE beets! To quote Skeeter from Doug, “Beets are Nature’s Candy!” This I agree with, so let’s make some Beets With Pineapple! Start by pulling out our trusty cast-iron skillet and mixing 2 TableSpoons Brown Sugar, Packed, 1 Tablespoon cornstarch, and 1/4 Teaspoon Kosher Salt over Medium heat. Once mixed, stir in 1 8 oz. Can Pineapple chunks WITH the syrup. Cook while stirring until the mix starts to thicken and bubble. Once bubbling, add 1 Tablespoon Butter or Dairy-free margarine, 1 Tablespoon Lemon Juice, and 1 16 oz. can Sliced or Diced Beets, drained. Keep heating for another 4-5 minutes, stirring occasionally, and serve!

Next up, let’s go for another favorite, Corn Casserole! We start by melting 1/2 cup Butter or Margarine in a 9×13 baking dish. To this we want to add 1 17 oz. can whole corn WITH liquid, 1 17 oz. can creamed corn, 2 Eggs, Slightly Beaten, and 1 8 1/2 oz. box corn bread mix; mixing gently with a fork. Next we want to drop dollops of Sour Cream over the corn & corn bread mix. If you want, you can just smooth out 1 Cup Sour Cream over the top. I just prefer the dollop method, myself. next fold the sour cream into the corn bread mixture, getting it evernly mixed. Finally, top with 1 cup Cheddar Cheese, Shredded and bake in a 350 degree F oven for 30 minutes. Let cool and cut into squares.

Well, let’s try to do at least ONE dish for the Vegitarians, all right? Next up is Broiled Tomatos, and it is easier than you think! First we need 4 Large Fresh Tomatos that have been washed & pitted. Slice the tomatos in half, and marinate them in 1 Cup Italian Dressing in the baking dish. Once covered, drain off the extra dressing so the tomatos still glisten. Next we want to mix together 2 cups Bread Crumbs, 1 cup Extra Sharp Cheddar Cheese (Or Soy Cheddar, if you prefer), grated, amd 1 Tablespoon Parsely, Minced Finely. Salt the tomatos with A Pinch or Two of Kosher Salt, then topp the tomatos with the bread crumb mixture. Broil in the oven until the tob bubbles and the tomatos are warm thru and thru. These tomatos can also be cooked on a BBQ grill, as well, as long as you keep an eye on them.

But, as a final treat, we ALL know Turkey day is ALL about the desserts! So, since I already shared my pumpkin Pie Recipe, let’s go over a dessert before I leave! Let’s start out with Coconut Pie. Now this recipe is for TWO pies, so you have some for yourself, and some to be devoured by fisiting family and friends, all right? As A kindness, I’ll post this one as a ‘normal’ recipe, and those who want to steal ‘borrow’ it can just use my name.

Combine the eggs, milk, sugar, flour, butter, almond extract, and vanilla extract with a stand mixer or blender on its lowest setting for 2 minutes for a stand mixer & 3-4 for a hand mixer.

Put the mixture into two greased 8 in. pie pans, and topp with coconut flakes. As you top, press down slightly to press the coconut into the mix.

Bake at 350 degrees F for 30 minutes, and let cool in the fridge before serving.

So, sadly, most these dishess have had dairy in some form or another in them. I can’t help it, I’m partial to Dairy! Of course, this means your main dish better be fish! If you’re making these for your turkey dinner, don’t tell me! Your rabbi wants to hear from you! ^^ Seriously, no matter whatever you’re eating this upcoming holiday, I want you to all know I’m thankful for you, my readers. I do this for all for you week after week. And the comments, good and bad, that I get make me glad to know people out there care about what I’m cooking. Until next time, Shalom and Good Cooking!

Plans for the restaurant have been scaled down, but are moving along at a nice pace. Education is going well, and I’ve gone back to a theme I really like: A geek-themed coffee shop & bakery. It’s an interesting idea, to say the least. Seattle has a large geek culture, so providing a place for them to gather, drink coffee, play games, and get whatever sweets they desire would work best for me. And, if someone needed an anime-themed or LOTR-themed wedding cake… Well, I could make it for them!

One unique idea I’ve had is to have the two-person tables or booths be Cocktail cabinets. I don’t know of any restaurant that has tried this, but I think it’ll be a beneficial thing. Not only will the ‘tables’ have a thick glass top that’s easy to clean, they will also provide entertainment and extra revenue for those who are bored.

Now, when researching companies that make arcade machines, the best deal I’ve found, so far, is via Quasimoto Interactive. I tried their products at Best Buy before, and fell in love. Most arcade machines for home use look like plasterboard, and seem to be at risk at falling over at the drop of a hat. I was impressed with this company’s well-crafted quality and inexpensive price, something that is rarely seen hand in hand anymore in ANY product. They have one-person cocktail cabinets, but a discussion with the company’s owner via e-mail showed me their desire for customer service and customer satisfaction goes above and beyond the call of duty when he offered to assist me in acquiring 2-4 person cocktail cabinets either thru them.

Overall, I think I’ve happily found the company my ‘tables’ will be purchased thru, when I get get closer to opening my doors. If anyone is looking for that perfect holiday gift for the geek in their life, look into Quasimoto yourself! After all, what geek doesn’t dream of being surprised for their birthday, holiday gift, or wedding with their very own arcade machine? No more quarters at the arcade, and you can play as long as you want! Not a bad deal all around, if I may say so myself.

But, what kind of an article would this be without a recipe? All this talk of video games has got me hungry for some easy gamer snacks! Yes, let’s make Peanut Butter Cookies! We start by combining 1 Cup Smooth Peanut Butter with 1 Cup Sugar, mixing the ingredients together well. Once mixed, stir in 1 Egg, Beaten and 1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract. Once mixed together, roll the dough into 1/2 inch balls and set on an ungreased cookie sheet. Using a fork dipped in flour, Mash the ball down in one direction, then turn the fork and mash down once more. It should make a tic-tac-toe pattern on the top of the cookie. Finally, bake in a 350 degree F oven for 10 minutes. let them cool for about 3-4 minutes before moving from the cookie sheet to a cooling rack.

There we go! Short, sweet, and easy when in a pinch! I hope you all have a wonderful Shabbat weekend, and I will be back next week with Thanksgiving side dishes, more Kashrut alerts, and the upcoming KOSHER COOKING CARNIVAL one week from today! So, until next time, Shalom and Good Cooking!

Well, to start with, let’s get the latest Kashrut alert out of the way. De Boles Gluten Free Rice Pasta and Cheese bears an unauthorized OU symbol and is not certified as kosher by the Orthodox Union. This product is being withdrawn from the marketplace. Individuals spotting this product are requested to contact the Orthodox Union.

Also, I was sent a link for the KCC, but I wanted to share it here. It seems there’s a new essay running around about if Thanksgiving is Kosher or not. Now, I talked to my Rabbi about it, and he was rather informative. Apparently there is a ruling that Jews are not supposed to do things Gentiles do. BUT, there’s nothing wrong with having a big family dinner. In fact, that’s what we’re SUPPOSED to do on Shabbos! The benefit of Turkey day is it’s like Shabbos, only the more orthodox can have their lights & electricity and the like. His suggestion is if Jews are REALLY worried, they could just on it the cornucopia centerpieces for their table. But then, we’re Progressive Conservative, so discuss with YOUR rabbi on his or her feelings on this matter, okay?

Now, most my readers in the US of A are likely getting ready for Thanksgiving! Turkey Day! Cooking Turkey! Ah, what a wonderful treat! I am a passionate fan of roasting turkey (As is most of Israel what with 28 pds. of turkey eaten by each person, on average, each year!) Now, I hate to say it, but the recipe -I- use for roasting turkey is not mine. You see, my wife has a slight obsession with Alton Brown. Every time I cook she likes to mention, “That’s nice, but ALTON does it THIS way!” While this is a major irk of mine, one recipe he did, in my opinion, is the best way to roast a turkey. His method of preparing a roast turkey is a method I’ve yet to have problems with, and is even in-laws approved! ^^

So, the next recipe article is going to be full of all those traditional recipes everyone wants for turkey day, okay? And, next week is also the Kosher Cooking Carnival! Remember to get your recipes/links in to me by the 15th to be in the KCC, okay? Drop me an e-mail at steven-at-renegadekosher-dot-com with the info to be added! Anyhow, until next time, Shalom and Good Cooking!

So, good news! I found a publisher for my first cook book! While not Kosher, many of my readers, I think, will still want it. It’s a project I was working off & on finishing for about a year, but the past two weeks I’ve been working to finish it. I sent the concept & some recipes to some publishers, and one wants to print it, sell it, & give me royalties for it! Nee! I’m going to be a published author! My first published cook book!

The book will be called ‘Con Cooking’, and is a cook book designed with geeks in mind. It’s filled with easy recipes that can be made in dorm rooms, small apartments, and at conventions with ease of cooking & lack of worry for messing it up in mind. It usues some unconventional ingredients and cooking tools, but the basic concept is easy, filling food that any geek can use to fill themselves cheaply & easily.

I need to add more recipes, get the forward, & arrainge it better into chapters. Then I’ll tell you all where YOU can buy it, & in turn be giving me Money! I’m also working on another cook book, ‘Keeping Kosher on a Budget’. This cook book is pretty self-explanitory! Keeping Kosher without dropping $200+ a shopping trip! Who knew it was possible!? Anyhoo, Shalom and Good Cooking!